Undead Vengeance
by CUDDLY PENGUIN 69
Summary: Death is never what it seems. Especially when the queen of darkness requests your services.
**A/N: Hello! So I had an idea for a fic. It was inspired by a picture which is probably used on this story. Don't get mad at me for what happens in this story. It contains character death.**

The Griffon evaporated, leaving Roman in the burning room of the crashing ship. Roman got to his feet and saw the buildings getting closer. "Well shit" Roman said as he pulled out a cigar and lit on a flame. If he was going out, he was going to be smoking. As the ship crashed into buildings, Roman was thrown forward to the front of the room, smashing into the control panel and busting his head open. Roman lied there, on the busted control panel as he bled out from his skull. Things went dark as his eyes shut slowly.

Roman opened his eyes.

"I-I"m alive?" Roman said as he patted his body to make sure he was a physical being. He looked around and saw that he was in a dark place that was littered with enormous crystals and strange landscapes.

"You are not _currently_ alive." a smooth feminine voice said from behind him. Roman turned around to see the woman Cinder had been working for. Roman's eyes widened as he stood face to face with the goddess of darkness.

"Hello, Roman" Salem said as Roman stood there motionless in shock and awe.

" _You're_ Salem?" He asked.

"You were expecting someone else?" She asked.

"I didn't know _what_ to expect to be quite honest." Roman said, moving past the awe and returning to his normal sassy and sarcastic disposition. "So wait...I'm _really_ dead?" Roman asked.

" _That_ is up to _you_ " Salem replied.

"How so?" Roman asked.

"You said it yourself, you survive. I can make you…. _un_ dead, and you can get revenge on the person you hate most. That little girl in the red hood." Salem said. Roman's attention was all on Salem at this point.

"You mean, I could stay alive _and_ get to kill her?!" Roman said excitedly.

"A win for both of us. However, I must inform you that you will need to pledge your loyalty to me, but in doing so, I can grant you power you cannot _begin_ to imagine. You would be able to command creatures of Grimm. You would heal from any damage instantaneously." Salem stated.

"I'll do it!" Roman exclaimed.

Salem smiled maliciously. She reached out her arm and touched his forehead. Instantly, Roman screamed out in pain and fell to his knees as dark red veins streamed down from his eyes, which were changing. A dark red sclerae, and his pupils glowing a bright red. The red veins continued down his limbs much like Salem's. Roman gritted his teeth as he adjusted to Salem's power coursing through his body. After a moment, Roman stood up.

"How do you feel?" Salem asked.

"I feel…..like a _monster_ " Roman replied, smiling wickedly.

"Good. Now go find her" Salem said. Roman turned and his eyes glowed red as from the surrounding darkness a Griffon materialized. Roman laughed as he mounted the beast. it roared as he tugged on its mane and it took off, heading towards Vale. More specifically, Patch.

Within a few hours, Roman arrived at Patch as the sun rose, illuminating the snow-coated landscape. The Griffon landed near a house that he had been told was the residence of his prey. He smiled as he walked up to the house his shoes crunching in the snow. He kicked in the door, sending it flying into the house.

"WHO THE HELL ARE _YOU_!?" TaiYang yelled as Roman intruded. TaiYang charged toward the intruder, instinctively protecting his daughter. Roman, using his cane, batted TaiYang away, sending him through the window.

"Little Red, come out come out wherever you are!" Roman called out in a sing-song tone.

"I promise I'll hurt you a lot!" Roman taunted. Yang, lying in her bed, recognized Torchwick's voice and immediately became angry. As Roman entered the hallway, TaiYang attacked him from behind, causing Roman to fall to the floor. Roman stood up and turned to face the father.

"Stay away from my daughter!" TaiYang roared before charging at Roman. Roman rolled his eyes and back-handed Tai as he reached him, sending him into a wall, knocking him unconscious as he hit his head against a door frame.

"Dad?" Yang's voice shakily squeaked from the end of the hallway. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAD?!" Yang screamed, her hair igniting in rage. With her left hand, Yang charged forward to punch Roman, only for him to catch her fist. Shocked, Yang froze as Torchwick kept his grip on her fist. As he held it, he leaned in close to look her in the face.

"Where is she? Where is your sister?" Roman said calmly and quietly.

"I'll never tell you where she is." Yang said. Roman sighed and shifted his grip from her fist to her wrist and swung her into a wall, busting through it and throwing her into a room.

"Come on, Blondie, just tell me where she is!" Roman exclaimed in frustration.

"NEVER!" Yang replied. "You'll just have to kill me!" she added, spitting at him.

"Have it _your_ way, Blondie." Roman said as he aimed his cane at the blonde. Yang jumped at him, tackling him to the ground. As she had him pinned, she used her arm to punch him repeatedly in the face. As he took blow after blow, Roman reached up, digging a finger into one of Yang's eyes. She screamed and fell off him as she covered her eye with her hand. Roman stood up and kicked her hard in the ribs, causing her to yelp in pain. As she crawled back onto her knees, he kicked her in the face, throwing her back against the wall.

"Don't worry, I'll tell your sister how brave you were…" Roman said as she looked up at him with one eye. "Right before I drive a blade through her skull." Roman added. Yang growled and in a last effort, punched him in the groin, launching him back against the opposite wall.

"Just cause it heals, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt!" Roman growled to himself as he limped back toward Yang. "Any last words, Blondie? A message for me to give to your darling kid sister?" Roman asked.

"Suck a dick, period face!" Yang said, spitting at him. Roman wiped the bloody spit from his face. He tossed Melodic Cudgel into the air, grabbing it by the barrel and raising it like a bat. With one hard swing, Yang's blood was splattered across the wall and pooling on the floor underneath her head, which was missing a fairly large chunk.

As Roman exited the house and returned to the Griffon, he heard a scream from inside the house. A scream he knew was one of agony. He knew TaiYang had awoken to find his daughter slaughtered. Seeing as he wasn't going to get any more information there, he decided it best to leave.

"Where is she!?" Roman hissed to himself as he rode through the air back to mainland Vale. "Guess it's time to visit an old friend" Roman said to himself as he headed for the shady part of Vale, which was somehow only minorly affected by the invasion. He landed outside the club in the shadow of the overpass. As he dismounted his Griffon, he snapped his fingers, making it evaporate so that it wouldn't attract any more unnecessary attention then he himself did.

When he walked in he heard gasps as he walked by. He spotted Junior at the bar, turned around and arranging bottles of liquor on the shelves.

"Well, _there's_ the guy that knows _everything_ that happens in Vale!" Roman said as he took a seat at the bar. Junior froze in place, instantly recognizing the voice.

"I thought you went down with Ironwood's ship." Junior said without turning around to

face him.

"Oh I _did_." Roman replied. Junior turned around to be shocked and horrified by the face he saw.

"God, you look like a fucking nightmare." Junior exclaimed.

"I _am_ a fucking nightmare." Roman replied, his eyes narrowing.

"So, why are you here?" Junior asked.

"You remember that blonde monster that trashed your club?" Roman asked.

"Yeah, what about her?" Junior answered, clearly showing emotions of hatred towards the girl who nearly crushed his genitals.

"I killed her" Roman said bluntly.

"You _what_?!" Junior exclaimed, surprised by his statement. "I hated her, but god, she was just a _kid_!" Junior added.

"That's not why I'm here though. I need you to tell me everything you know about where her sister went. That red-caped _hero_." Roman said. Junior sighed heavily.

"I don't want to tell you but I'm going to anyways." Junior began. "One of my guys saw her at the port, getting on a ship with some other students from Beacon." he said.

"Where were they _going_? Did your guy get _that_?!" Roman asked.

"They were going to Mistral. Haven if I was to guess." Junior answered.

"Thank you. Your services are appreciated." Roman said, pulling out a stack of Lien and handing it to the well-suited club owner. "Oh and one more thing, before I go. Have your guys gotten any word of a small girl with pink and brown hair, maybe black hair in pigtails? Probably would have been found murdering people." Roman asked.

"I haven't, but I'll ask around and contact you if I do." Junior answered. With that, Roman exited the club.

"You can't run forever, Red. I'll find you. And when I _do_ , we're gonna have some _fun_!" Roman said to himself as he walked away from the club.

"Are you crazy or something? Ya freak!" a random civilian asked him as they walked around him. Roman's eyes narrowed in agitation. Using Melodic Cudgel's grappling hook function, he hooked the man who had insulted him and dragged him back to him. The man lied on his back on the pavement, staring up at the undead crime lord. Roman smiled as he lifted his leg and crushed the man's head under his shoe, laughing as he walked away from the mess.

As Roman walked down the street towards the airship station, he passed a store whose window had been shattered. Inside, he saw shelves of scrolls and computers. He pulled his own scroll out if his pocket and saw that the screen on it was cracked and it wasn't activating.

"Damn" Roman said. He pulled the chip out of it that held all the personal information and made it possible to easily switch to a new scroll. He stepped inside and grabbed one off the shelf and put his chip in it. "There we go." Roman said as the the screen lit up in the dark store. He stood there, looking through his scroll. "Let's see if she picks up." Roman said to himself as he made a call.

[In a village tavern somewhere outside Vale]

Neo sat at the bar, staring into her drink when she was startled by her scroll vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw the caller ID. Her eyes widened. She answered the call.

"Guess who" Roman's voice spilled from the speaker.

"Roman?" Neo asked shakily.

"Did ya miss me?" Roman asked.

"I thought you were _dead_!" Neo said, clearly trying to hold back tears.

"Well that's a little tough to explain. It'd be easier to explain it in person. And I could use your help on a special mission." Roman said.

"Where are you?" She asked, listening intently as he gave her the name of the shop he was standing in. "I'll be there in a second." She said.

As Roman put the scroll in his pocket, he heard the distinctive sound of Neo's teleport.

"It's so great to see you!" Roman said as he turned around to face her. Neo jumped at the sight of Roman's appearance.

"W-what happened to you!?" Neo asked.

"That's the thing I wanted to explain. See, when the ship went down, I _did_ die. And somehow, I ended up in this place, I don't know where. And this woman approaches me. She was the witch Cinder was working for. So she tells me I'm dead, but I don't _have to be_ " Roman told her.

"What the hell does _that_ mean?" Neo asked.

"Well, as destiny would have it, when that little red nuisance froze Cinder and the dragon, a position opened up with this witch. And with Red still being alive and all, she needed someone to hunt her down and _prevent_ Little Red from interfering with her plans. She offered me power and life, and a chance to kill that kid once and for all. And of course, to see you again." Roman said, smiling at Neo.

"Okay, so what happens when you _do_ kill her? You served your purpose. Will she simply discard you like an empty dust cartridge?" Neo asked, her face painted in a serious expression.

"Huh, I hadn't thought about that." Roman said, looking down at his feet. "But that will have to wait. Priority number one is finding that girl" Roman said, lifting his head back up and smiling wickedly as he walked out of the empty store, followed by Neo.

"So, you went down with the ship….but _she_ didn't. Anything you want to say?" Neo asked as they neared the airship station. Roman stopped and sighed, turning his head back towards Neo.

"I was about to knock her off when a Griffon dropped down and swallowed me whole. Guess Red must have killed it, because a few minutes later it evaporated, and I was standing in the ship as it crashed." Roman said, turning to continue walking.

"That makes more sense than her _killing_ you." Neo stated. Roman ignored her as they reached the station. Roman approached the ticket machine and bought them two tickets on an airship to Haven. "So, wanna kill everyone on board and hijack this bitch?" Neo whispered. Roman laughed.

"No. This ship is a civilian airship. No guns. If I'm gonna steal one, it needs to be a military airship." Roman answered. "But I admire the ambition." He smiled.

After nearly an hour of sitting in boredom on the ship as it crossed the ocean, Roman turned to Neo.

"Say, has you tried to contact Cinder's street rats?" Roman asked. Neo shook her head 'no'. Roman pulled out his scroll and found Mercury's scroll number. He rang it. It rang, and rang, and rang, and rang. "Huh, well. He's either dead, or just really doesn't want to talk to me." Roman said. He tried Emerald's and got the same response. "Well they're both probably better off dead. Or perhaps they just got out completely and are in their own." Roman said aloud.

"You act like you care about them!" Neo said, her brow raised.

"I don't. I was just curious as to whether or not they got captured or died or got out alive. If they're alive then I can kill them finally." Roman said.

"Riiight" Neo said as she leaned over, lying across Roman's lap. Roman sighed and leaned back in the seat, resting his hand on Neo's stomach as she lied there.

"ROMAN!" a voice shouted in Roman's mind. His eyes jolted open and he recognized the voice as Salem's. "You have unlimited power and you're not using it!" She said.

"What?" Roman thought.

"You have the power to do whatever you want!" Salem that, Roman picked Neo up off his lap and walked her around into a hallway on the airship. As they stood there, Roman focused and his eyes glowed red as a rift split open in front of them. "This is gonna be fun" Roman smiled as they both walked into the portal, stepping out in a squalor that was teeming with thugs. Roman noticed two characters sitting against a wall of a decrepit building. He walked over to stand before them. "Well, look what we have here. I found you street rats!" Roman said. Emerald and Mercury looked up at the tall figure before them, horrified by his ghastly appearance. "You look horrible!" Emerald said bitterly. "Thank you. But I'm not here to exchange compliments." Roman retorted. "Then _why_ are you here?" She asked, crossing her arms while Mercury held his hands on his hips. "Because I'm going to give you an ultimatum. Clearly you don't like your current residence. Come with me" Roman answered. "And _why_ would we come with _you_?" Mercury chimed in. "Because, if you _don't_ , I'll paint this shit hole of a village with your blood and make leather boots out of your skin." Roman answered, his tone dark and agitated. The pair's eyes widened. "And if we _do_ come with you?" Emerald asked. "You'd have whatever you wanted. And you'd need to assist me on a….hunt, so to speak." Roman answered. "A hunt?" Emerald said, her eyebrow raised. "Call it revenge if you like. Either way, I'm gonna spill the blood of that girl!" Roman stated. "Girl? What girl? That Ruby girl?" Emerald asked. Roman sighed in annoyance. 'Yes, that Ruby girl" he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Word is, she and her friends are off on a mission to save the world." Roman said, clearly annoyed. "So, I'd get another go at the blonde bimbo?!" Merc asked excitedly. "No, actually. In fact you'll never get another shot at _her._ " Roman answered. "Why not!? Did that Adam prick kill her?!" Mercury asked. "No….I did" Roman replied. "I painted her bedroom wall with her brains" Roman stated. "Huh, well then. Fine. I'm in" Mercury said. Emerald sighed heavily. "I'm in too" she said. "Fantastic!" Roman said. Roman's eyes glowed red and a rift opened behind him. He and Neo stepped back into it, pulling the assassin duo into it despite their fearful protest. "What _the fuck_ was that!?" Mercury exclaimed as they stood outside an open market that sold fresh fruits, meats, and breads. "Don't worry about it. I made a promise. Now go eat." Roman said, pushing the two towards the food stands.

"You're going to kill them eventually, aren't you?" Neo asked him quietly after the two ran off. "Of _course_ I am. Once they outlive their usefulness, er, _her_ usefulness really. I just brought _him_ along because they won't leave each other's side, despite how much they claim to hate each other."

"Remind me again, _why_ you decided you need her?" Neo asked. "A silver tongue can only get you so far when you look like a nightmare." Roman said bitterly. "I think _I_ can fix that." Neo said, running her hands over his face. Using her physical illusions, she formed a mask over Roman's face that was bound to his skin and looked like how he did before his death. "There, now your silver tongue can persuade all you like" Neo said, showing Roman his reflection in a mirror. "Huh. Pretty good, kid." Roman smiled. "And you can take it off whenever you like." Neo added.

"Well then. Time to kill a couple rats." Roman grinned as he held out his palm, forming a dagger-like crystal. He held it behind his back as Emerald and Mercury walked up.

"Hey, you look _human_ now. What gives?!" Mercury exclaimed.

"Change of plans, it seems. Turns out, I don't need you two after all." Roman said before jamming the crystal up through Emerald's jaw and into her skull.

"EMERALD!" Mercury shouted as Emerald fell dead on the ground. "You son of a bitch!" Mercury exclaimed as he lunged into a kick. Roman grabbed his boot and held it in his grip. Roman smiled as he jerked to the right and ripped Mercury's metal leg off. Mercury lost balance and fell to the ground. "You son of a bitch! You motherfucker!" Mercury yelled. Roman held the leg by the ankle and raised it up. "Fooorrrrreee!" He yelled as he swung the leg at Mercury's head, knocking it clean off his shoulders and sending it flying into the air. He sighed as he retrieved the head and left it sitting by his body. He gave a wry laugh before he left the scene with Neo.

"Y'know, that was really _fun_!" Roman laughed.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, but shouldn't we be getting back to finding and killing 'Little Red'?" Neo asked as they walked along a path leading to another village. "All in due time, Neo. We'll kill her. Don't you worry about that." Roman replied. "But if you're so worried about promptness, then let's get this over with once and for all." Roman said, ripping open a rift. Through the rift was Mistral.

"Hello, Red" Roman said as he arrived at the docks of Mistral.

"What are _you_ doing _here_? You _died_! I saw you get eaten!" Ruby exclaimed as she saw the undead thief before her.

"I've been getting that a lot lately." Roman said, twirling his cane around his wrist.

"H-h-how are you alive!?" Ruby exclaimed, drawing her weapon.

"Oh that's not important." Roman replied, walking towards her.

Ruby fired a round from Crescent Rose, hitting Roman in the forehead, breaking the mask Neo had created for him as the bullet hit him like a punch.

"What!?" Ruby exclaimed as she witnessed Roman shake off the shot.

"Your time's up, Red!" Roman growled as he lunged to attack her.

"Ruby!' Jaune exclaimed, coming out of a building with Nora and Ren.

"Oh hello...John, right? How's your girlfriend?" Roman taunted as he stood over the red-haired girl he just knocked down. Jaune shrieked out an angry battle cry as he and his team charged towards Roman.

"This isn't your fight, kid!" Roman exclaimed as he grabbed Jaune by the neck and threw him out into the bay. Roman turned just as Nora swung her mighty hammer. He caught the staff of it as she swung it at him, halting her attack. The force in the attack was still enough to push him back, pulling Nora with him. Roman grabbed Magnhild and stood before Nora who was picking herself up off the ground.

"This doesn't concern you!" Roman shouted as he swung the hammer at her and sent her flying into the water with Jaune.

"Nora!" Ren and Ruby shouted simultaneously, before charging at Roman.

"Oh _come on_!" Roman exclaimed in exasperation. As they neared Roman, Neo shot out of nowhere and blitzed the two, slamming them into the wall of a building. Ruby sprung from the busted wall, slicing through Roman with the blade of her scythe. Ruby spun around to see the foe she believed she had slain to see Roman still standing and the cut she had made vanished.

"No, that's not possible" Ruby stated. Ruby then began firing shot after at Roman. Roman stood there as the bullets drilled through his body. When Ruby's magazine was empty, she paused and waited for Roman to fall dead. But instead he laughed. His mask had completely shattered, revealing his grey and veiny face.

"That all you got, Red?!" Roman laughed as his skin grew even darker and his body grew slightly larger. His muscles grew bigger and tore his shirt. "THIS IS WHERE YOU DIE, RED!" Roman growled. "But before I slaughter you, I'm going to keep the promise I made to your sister." He stated.

"What?" Ruby said, confused.

"In your sister's final moments, she was brave. She faced her demise fighting to the last second. I promised her I'd tell you that just before I splattered her brains across the wall." Roman said.

"AHHHHHHH!" Ruby screeched as she charged at Roman with her scythe. Roman grabbed Ruby by the neck before she could attack. He ripped Crescent Rose from her hands and threw her high into the air. He tossed Crescent Rose aside and as Ruby fell closer, he threw his clawed hand into the air and tore straight through Ruby's gut. Blood dribbled from the young huntress's mouth as Roman gripped her intestines. He pulled them out like stuffing from a toy and twisted them around her neck. Once fastened around her neck, he swung them around like a toy and then slammed her to the ground.

"RUUUBYYYY!" Jaune screamed as he crawled out of the water to see Roman slam her into the ground. Suddenly, Jaune's entire body was engulfed in flames. As Jaune screamed from losing yet another close friend, a spray of inferno shot from his mouth, aimed at Roman.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Jaune shrieked as he sprinted towards Ruby's killer, Crocea Mors drawn and ablaze just as his body was. Jaune, in berserk rage, sliced at Roman, tearing through him with the burning blade. Roman growled in pain as Jaune wounded him. The open wounds closed instantly as Jaune had Roman cornered. Roman swung his arm and knocked the blade from Jaune's grasp. Roman grabbed Jaune by the neck and held him off the ground.

The flames covering Jaune's figure began to dissipate as Roman absorbed Jaune's aura. Jaune tugged at Roman's hand, trying desperately to free himself. As soon as Roman had absorbed his aura completely. Roman squeezed his fist, crushing Jaune's neck.

Ren pulled himself from the wall, dizzy and confused. He dusted himself off and turned to see Roman looking at him.

"So long, Ponytail!" Roman explained as he held out his hand and using Jaune's semblance, he engulfed him in a spray of flames. After a moment, all that was left was Ren's smoking guns.

As Roman calmed down, he returned to his normal form, Neo reappeared by his side.

"So, is it done?" she asked him.

"Yeah, it's over." Roman told her.

"What about Salem?" Neo asked.

"That's a problem for another day." Roman said as he opened a rift and they walked through, disappearing from view.

 **A/N: Hey guys, well that's the end of it, maybe. I hope you liked it, and. . . I'm not sorry.**


End file.
